


Our love will be passed on

by 162781212890



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora's a pop princess but she's still buff, Alternate Universe - Music, Another Musician AU, Bottom!Catra, Catra's kind of a mess at first, F/F, Top!Adora, don't worry they'll heal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:41:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28803708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/162781212890/pseuds/162781212890
Summary: Of all the things that could have gone wrong tonight, this was not on the list.She thought she might just drop her guitar, or trip and fall in front of everyone, or something else equally embarrassing.She never considered for a single second that her rich, successful, hot ex-best something would be watching her, judging her, and deciding her future.Or: Catra's a musician trying to secure a record deal with a label. At Etheria's Battle of the Bands she comes face to face with Adora, pop sensation, bombshell blonde, and someone she'd tried very hard to forget about. They've got a lot to work out.
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Entrapta & Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not 100% sure what's possessed me to write this. Expect smut in upcoming chapters, not this one though. I'm planning for this to be a multi-chapter fic.

Catra stepped outside of her apartment and breathed in the cool, fresh air. 

Stupid, she thought. This whole, stupid idea was really fucking stupid. 

From where she stood, she could see the lights of the apartment buildings lighting up the park nearby. There was a raccoon rustling in a dumpster behind her neighbor’s building. The night summer air hummed with a liveliness she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

A slight scuffle came from behind her as Scorpia banged her way out from the front door, nearly running headfirst into Catra, still standing on the stoop with her back to the door. 

“Woah there, Wildcat!” Scorpia chuckled wholeheartedly. “You see something out there?”

Catra turned to look at her, blue eyes narrowed. “No,” she all but hissed, ignoring the fact that the raccoon was very visibly dumpster diving next door. Stupid neighborhood. 

She thumbed through her backpack slung over her shoulder to check that her guitar pick was still in there. “Come on, Scorpia. You’re driving. We’ll meet Entrapta at the entrance. She said that weird gray lab guy was going to drop her off when they were done.”

Catra was nervous. She was nervous for a hell of a lot of reasons. 

Obviously, there were many things that could go wrong with that night. Obvious to her, at least. She could drop her guitar, sing out of tune, or forget her lyrics, among just the music related things that could go awry, not to mention accidents or someone else fucking up.

Scorpia was singing along to the bland pop music on the car radio, oblivious to the nails sinking into the leather chair from the girl next to her.

The Battle of the Bands was held at Etheria Commons every year. The flyers were up in every bar, in every coffee shop in Bright Moon’s campus, in every single damn club that she had been in the last year. It was always a huge deal, attracting not just college party-goers there to get wasted but crowds of diehard music-lovers, not to mention the star-studded panel of judges. There was usually at least one celebrity there to grab the attention of mainstream teeny boppers, alongside representatives from some of the major record labels. 

Catra shivered, thinking about the prize. Yeah, a contract with a major label sounded pretty fucking sweet. It was pretty much all she’d wanted since she’d left Weaver’s house and fought her way through Bright Moon’s music major. 

Too bad she’d gotten there first. The easy way. The Adora way. 

Catra’s hands tensed up and her nails dug in further into the leather next to her. Her pointer nail cracked off into the leather, blood dripping down her finger. 

“Fuck!” She shrieked. Scorpia immediately turned to her. “Keep your eyes on the road! Come on!” Catra barked. 

Scorpia sighed. “Catra, you’ve got to relax. You know what we do to relax, right?” She said, turning down her music so that she could bring her soft voice above. 

“Yeah, we deep breathe and count to ten. Got it. Say thanks to that hippie girlfriend of yours,” Catra drawled back, nursing her finger in her mouth. The blood was metallic to her tongue. She’d worked hard for this and she’d be damned to let it go so easily. 

Satisfied, Scorpia reached back for the volume knob and hummed along as the song came back into earshot. “yeah, yeah, mmmm mmm yeah,” and Catra tuned her out. Leaning her head against the window, Catra watched the downtown lights of Etheria glint across her window as she drummed her fingers next her. Yeah. She sure as hell wasn’t going to roll over on this one, even if it was a stupid idea to enter the Battle of the Bands. 

She had graduated college and still hadn’t made much progress towards breaking into the industry. Sure, she had a couple of singles on Spotify and her band’s soundcloud garnered plenty of attention. But she wanted to be the best, and she certainly wasn’t the best with her old shadow looming over her. 

She sighed and closed her eyes, Scorpia’s low babbling along to the music distracting her from fully relaxing. Scorpia was a good friend to her. Catra made a mental note to try to be nicer. 

Scorpia was the one who had been there for her all through college, had moved in with her split her first apartment, had been there on every moving day and sat through every one of Catra’s performances for her music major. She was pretty much the glue holding Catra’s life together. 

Quite literally, actually, as the manager of their band. 

They had met on Bright Moon’s campus as freshmen. Scorpia had already been in their room when Catra arrived, sweaty and pissed off, to move in. Immediately upon noticing her, Scorpia had tried to wrap Catra up into a warm hug with the comment, “I’m a hugger!”

Once she had been put down, Catra had stared pointedly at Scorpia’s belongings placed innocently on the bottom bunk bed until Scorpia had scratched her head questioningly and said, “Uh… guess I’ll move my stuff?”

Catra had slept on the top bunk at Weaver’s but had always preferred the bottom. For reasons. No fucking way was she climbing over this idiot every night to sleep. 

It had seemed like just another unlucky roll in the game of life to Catra at first, that she had been stuck with a buff, exuberant, babbling blonde, until several months into their strained relationship as roommates. 

Scorpia had been supposed to be at the gym that evening, bulking up for her crew team, but had arrived back at their dorm early. Catra had been writing a new song that evening, strumming, humming really, nothing special. After listening to Scorpia had immediately taken it upon herself to encourage Catra’s composition skills, and hadn’t stopped since. She had been embarrassed at first, trying to shove away her guitar and scratch paper but it was… nice, Catra mused. 

It had been nice to have someone so squarely in her corner, who truly believed in her talent and believed that she could succeed. 

Scorpia slowed to a roll at the parking lot behind Bright Moon Commons. Rather than see her, they could hear Entrapta’s screech across the lot. “Guess ‘Trapta’s here already,” Scorpia said. “Wildcat, you good to go? Lonnie and the others should be pulling up soon too.”

The Cadets had formed in their sophomore year of college. Lonnie was their bassist, Kyle on keyboard, and Rogelio on drums. They had met in a focus class for their music major. Catra considered them… friends. Lonnie was actually her ex-girlfriend - or ex-fling, rather. They had slept together a few times before deciding there really wasn’t a spark there. Good sexual chemistry though, and they worked together well in the band. 

Sure enough, Rogelio pulled up and parked next to Scorpia. Catra jumped out of the car and began walking to Entrapta while the others tagged behind her. At the back entrance to Etheria Commons she greeted an employee standing by the door.

“Uh, we’re the Cadets? Where do you want us to go?” Catra said to the man at the door as the rest of her band plus Scorpia and Entrapta arrived behind her. He turned and led them down the hallway towards their dressing room. 

As they walked down the fluorescent lit hall Catra was surprised by just how many people there were waiting backstage. There were people strumming on their instruments, fixing their makeup, the tech crew yelling across the rooms to check the light and sound equipment, bustling around to prepare for the performances. Well, she really shouldn’t have been surprised, she mused, given the prize. Everyone was there, just like her, hoping for their big break. 

The employee stopped in front of a dressing room. “Here you are,” he said. “We’ll call you when you’re on deck. You’ve got a while before it’s your turn so expect to wait a few hours.”

Catra nodded and entered the dressing room. The butterflies in her stomach started up again. She tamped them down and tried to regulate her breathing. This was it. She was going to perform in front of the largest audience she had seen yet. People were going to see her true talent.

A pair of gray-blue eyes flashed into her mind and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. 

Fuck, that was not what she needed right now. She needed to forget about her and just focus on her performance. 

Lonnie sat down on the couch of their dressing room and leaned back, arms up and resting on the back. She seemed relatively relaxed given the importance of their performance. Of course though, the pressure was mostly on Catra to deliver. The lead singer, guitarist, of course Catra had to perform the best.

“Hey Catra stop looking so pissed off,” Lonnie quipped. “You’re going to scare off the judges and the audience.” Apparently her eyebrows were twitching, Catra guessed.

“It’s a part of my charm,” Catra growled back, not in the mood to be ribbed. 

Lonnie put her hands up as if to say she meant no harm. “Jeez, yeah okay. Just checking to see if you’re doing okay.”

“I am,” Catra said, tone making it clear she absolutely wasn’t.

The dressing room was silent after that. The clocked ticked on the wall, emphasizing the silence. Scorpia had sat outside and Catra could her her muted voice through the door trying to chat with the bustle of performers and crew members passing by. 

Catra stood up suddenly. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” She muttered before storming out and following the path down the hall. Thankfully Scorpia didn’t try to strike up a conversation with her as she left. 

Inside the bathroom she leaned with both hands over the sink, her head hanging low. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she seriously going to have a breakdown right before one of the most important performances of her career?

Catra splashed cold water onto her face, not caring that it was going to smudge her makeup. Messy eyeliner was sexy, anyway, or something. She slumped down onto the sink and put her head in her hands with a muffled sign. 

She should go practice or something. Or run through her lyrics again. She sighed and stilled. “Fuck.”

She was not going to do this. She was not going to have a melt-down over something a girl she once knew said to her. 

Catra wasn’t going to let those gray blue eyes rattle her today.

Lifting her head up to observe herself in the mirror, Catra’s blue and brown eyes stared back at her. The slight red-rimming was the only evidence that she was shaken. She let her expression fall blank, neutral, her lips a flat line. 

She banged out the door and nearly ran back into Scorpia. Scorpia must have followed her and waited outside the bathroom until Catra was composed again. Of course she did. Scorpia was always so attuned to Catra’s emotions and always seemed to know just when Catra was on the verge of melting down. 

Scorpia had been there through so many of these moments, it almost felt natural. Catra was grateful for her friend’s grounding presence, even though she would never say so. 

“Catra, are you doing okay? I know Lonnie was needling you earlier but I didn’t think that she actually said anything that would bother you.”

“Yeah, I’m doing okay,” Catra murmured instinctively. 

She stopped in her tracks as she went to pass by Scorpia and reconsidered. She was trying to be nicer, right, and then meant letting in Scorpia even when she was feeling vulnerable. 

“No, okay. I’m just feeling a little off. I’m… stressed about today. You know how much this means to me,” Catra said, rubbing her arm. “And it’s not exactly like this is going to be easy.”

Sorpia sighed and put her hand on Catra’s shoulder. “You are so talented, and I would hate for your nerves to get in the way of putting on an incredible performance. I know you can do this, and I know how hard you’ve worked for this, and I will be there to support you through and through!” Her tone shifted to bombastic as she encouraged Catra.

Catra smiled up at her gratefully. Scorpia was buff, and she was hot, and she wished she had been able to form a romantic connection with her. Catra had tried, and she’d really wanted to at times, but Adora had always been scratching at her in the back of her mind. 

“Thanks,” Catra spoke softly, her anxiety settling down. It really was a special talent of Scorpia’s, to be so calming and gentle. 

Together they headed back down the hall towards the Cadet’s dressing room. Catra had nearly made it to the door when she stopped dead in her tracks.

The hair on her neck stood on end and sound faded to a roar in her ears. For a brief moment she wondered what it could be, but the pit in her stomach was telling her she already knew the answer. 

She turned around and met those same gray blue eyes she had spent years trying to avoid. Catra could never avoid them in her daydreams and nightmares, but she’d done pretty well in real life, avoiding reading celebrity gossip magazines or listening to mainstream radio. 

Adora was looking back at her. Her eyes were widened in the briefest moment of shock, and anxiety, and then something else, something painful and eager. 

The eagerness hurt Catra most of all. Why would she be eager to see Catra? After everything that happened between them, she would have thought the hope would be stamped right out. Hope for something gentle or understanding between them was all but obliterated from Catra’s thoughts, anyway. 

Adora had always been the understanding one.

Realizing she had been staring right back, Catra wondered what ugly feelings she had locked away had been clear in her own eyes. She steeled her expression, reshaping the firm line of her mouth she had practiced in the bathroom, and looked away. 

Immediately the moment was broken. Catra could see out of the corner of her eye that Adora had turned back to speak to whoever that was with her. Probably her fancy manager or a fan or something, Catra thought dismissively. 

Over the roar that had overtaken her ears she could hear Scorpia trying to get her attention. 

“Catra, hey Catra! Isn’t that-“

“Don’t care,” Catra responded gruffly and pushed past Scorpia. 

Inside she felt as though the ground had been ripped from under her. 

She didn’t know how she was placing one foot in front of the other as she walked away. Every one of her senses was screaming at her to turn back, to, to… what? To fight, or scream or yell, or something else?

Catra just knew that Adora was going to follow her. Of course she was. It was so easy for Adora to take these steps forwards and act like things could be okay again, but not actually have the desire to go the distance to actually fix things with Catra. 

Catra knew Adora didn’t want to fix things. 

Adora was the one who left her anyway, whose music career had blown up and opened all sorts of doors for her. Adora was the one who had forgotten about Catra so easily. 

Catra still remembered those blue eyes narrowing at her from the doorway of their shared bedroom at Weavers, a few whips of blond hair falling from her ponytail poof and into her face, before she turned, through her duffel bag over her shoulder, and left for good.

Adora’s quiet steps padded up behind her. 

“Catra?” she asked, her voice small. 

Catra didn’t turn around.

“Do we have to do this now?” she responded.

“N-no,” came the shaky answer. “I just thought maybe-“

Catra cut her off.

“You just thought what? What could we possibly have to talk about, Adora?”

Guilt immediately flashed through Catra. Shakily she turned to face her old friend. 

The 5 years they had spent apart had been good to her. Adora had always been taller than Catra, just a little bit broader in the shoulders, but she had filled out even more during her absence. Her jawline was sharp and strong, and her biceps strong too. 

Catra felt the urge to lay her hands on her shoulders and feel the strength for herself before she shook it away.

Adora’s eyes hadn’t changed a bit, still the same gray-blue, determined and concerned. She still had that hint of eagerness glinting in her eyes, more subdued and less shocked now. 

She dressed differently than Catra remembered. She wore a long white sleeved top and jeans, and had her hair down, a band gracefully circling her forehead.

“Catra, what are you doing here?” Adora tried again. Her eyes flickered nervously, landing on the collar of Catra’s tight red top. Catra mindlessly wondered if she had left a water stain or something on it from the bathroom sink.

“Obviously, princess, I’m here to compete,” Catra spat back. “So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t distract me, given that this can’t possibly mean anything to you since you’re She-Ra, pop princess extraordinaire.” 

Adora looked taken aback, her mouth opening in a soft ‘o’ before her expression hardened and her eyes flashed back.

“Don’t talk to me like that, Catra. You don’t know how hard it’s been for me too.”

Catra sneered, opening her mouth to rip into Adora, to relive their last fight, before she thought better of it. 

“You know what Adora? You’re right. I’m not going to talk to you like that, because I’m not going to talk to you at all.”

Adora looked affronted. She stepped even closer to Catra until they were nearly nose to nose. Catra felt a heat come over her face. Her cheeks must be burning. 

“Catra, you kind of have to. I’m the celebrity judge this year, or did you not realize that?”

Catra did not, in fact, realize that.

Of all the things that could have gone wrong tonight, this was not on the list.

She thought she might just drop her guitar, or trip and fall in front of everyone, or something else equally embarrassing.

She never considered for a single second that her rich, successful, hot ex-best something would be watching her, judging her, and deciding her future.

Catra wished she had just climbed in the dumpster with that raccoon instead of coming here, because she felt like garbage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realizing I'm garbage at writing dialogue. I'll work on that... yikes. Also next chapter I promise we actually make it to the music part? I got a little side tracked.

Catra’s eyes were wide. She could feel her eyeballs starting to dry out as she stared back at Adora. 

Just what she needed. Sticky contact lenses.

And Adora was waiting for a response that Catra really, really, did not want to give her. Adora had lost her affronted expression and was looking down at her feet, her brow furrowed. 

“Catra…?” Adora trailed off.

Was she really just standing there, waiting for Catra to take the lead? Catra had pictured this moment many times before, but she couldn’t believe that Adora was seriously doing this here and now. Catra wasn’t ready. She didn’t even know what she would say to her. It was a struggle enough not to raise her voice. 

Catra shook her head, suddenly regretful for leaving Adora hanging. The lights and sounds of the people scuttling down the hallway, talking without a care in the world, were suddenly too much. The world felt as though it were spinning around her. The only thought on Catra’s overwhelmed mind was to get away from it all.

Without thinking Catra grabbed Adora’s arm. The touch was both too familiar, and too foreign. She immediately released and recoiled, knowing she had overstepped her boundaries. She and Adora hadn’t touched each other in years. Adora didn’t want her acting so familiar with her. 

Adora’s eyes had widened and she looked down at the spot on her arm where Catra had touched her. 

Catra’s fingers burned. She wanted to touch her again. She was suddenly very aware of the way Adora’s arms looked in her long sleeve white top. Was she a weight lifter or something? Seriously, for a pop princess she sure was jacked. Catra figured this might be a new thing for her. 

Trust Adora to be not only her first kiss, love, and fuck, but now to also help her discover she might have a thing for muscles.

Adora’s voice cracked as she strained to speak.

“Catra-”

“I know,” Catra cut her off. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here and I don’t think you really want me to be around you. You know how nasty I get,” she said almost accusatorially. 

“Can we go somewhere private?” Adora asked quickly. “I just really think we need to talk about what happened between us.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she continued looking down at Catra. 

Catra was acutely aware of the few inches Adora had on her. She felt small in comparison to Adora. It was both unsettling and arousing. She wished she had worn some sort of heeled boots for her performance instead of her old beaten up Converse. 

“Please? I think it would really help me.” 

“Yeah, fine,” Catra begrudgingly responded. “Better get this shit over with.” She could lie to herself all she wanted but her body was screaming in response to Adora’s closeness.

Adora took her hand, her blue eyes asking her silently to follow her. Catra let Adora take her by her hand and lead her down the hall presumably towards her own dressing room. 

A few people stopped to stare at them as they went down the hall, hand in hand. Catra noticed an older man wearing a headset, obviously someone working tech for the show, turn his head to watch them. Her skin prickled. She ripped her hand out of Adora’s. 

“I can walk just fine you know,” she said, placing her hand on her own shoulder, hugging herself in. “It’s not like there’s anywhere else for me to go.” The butterflies were going wild in the pit of her stomach.

Adora responded with a soft sigh. She didn’t bother turning to look at Catra, her back to her as they continued down the hall.

Catra was close enough to see every strand of that smooth blonde hair. Back at Weaver’s it hadn’t looked so soft and silky, but Catra had still loved it back then. She loved every inch of Adora, then. She’d kissed up and down her body, leaving marks on her neck and her breasts and her thighs to show her appreciation.

She missed Adora’s signature ponytail. 

Adora stopped short of a door. Her dressing room was somewhat farther away from the rest of the performers. Perks of being a celebrity, Catra guessed. She was surprised Adora didn’t have a bodyguard or anything outside of the door. Or her annoying friends hanging outside the door. Bow and Sparkles or something. Catra didn’t care. 

Adora opened the door and ushered Catra in before her. Catra took in the room. It was larger than hers, she had a full wardrobe, kitchenette, and bathroom off of the main seating area. 

She stood stock still in the center of the room. Behind her Adora closed the door slowly and carefully. Catra turned to face her. 

Adora kept her back to Catra. She could see the muscles of her upper back. Yeah, obviously she’s been lifting, Catra thought wryly. Those weren’t there a few years ago. 

She seemed so nervous. Catra thought she’d break the tension. If they were doing this, they might as well get started.

“Wow ‘Dora, looking ripped,” Catra’s mouth said. 

Apparently her brain was still broken.

And then all of a sudden the carpet was swirling into the ceiling, the room flipped around. Catra’s back was pressed into the door, Adora standing over her, one hand on Catra’s waist and the other pressed against the door beside Catra’s head. 

Her fingers were so close, Catra could just move an inch and those fingers would be trailing through her messy brown hair, pulling just the way she liked it. She didn’t dare move.

Adora was breathing heavy, her head hanging low over Catra’s. She was so close Catra could see the ridges in her pink lips and feel Adora’s soft breath against her cheek. 

Catra’s breathing stilled. 

Adora’s head came to a rest on Catra’s shoulder.

Catra didn’t want to breathe and risk messing up this moment. For all of the anger she had felt at seeing Adora at Etheria Commons, it was overshadowed by how much she missed her.

And then she breathed in. She could smell Adora’s perfume. She smelled so comfortingly familiar.

Adora kissed at her neck, moving her other hand down to grip Catra’s shoulder. Her tongue laved over her pulse point, sending shivers down Catra’s spine. It felt so sweet, and gentle, and it wasn’t what Catra wanted right now. 

Driven by years of memories and distance, Catra brought her hand into Adora’s hair and pulled. 

Adora’s head snapped back, her eyes closed, and she moaned. 

The sound shot straight to Catra’s core. Emboldened, she kissed along Adora’s jawline, placing small wet kisses as she got closer to her mouth. She pulled Adora’s head down even closer, holding her down, before their lips met. 

Catra couldn’t remember the last time she felt so good. Adora’s lips were soft and plump, and fit so perfectly against hers. Catra kissed against Adora’s bottom lip, her tongue darting out to push into Adora’s mouth. She didn’t care about being messy, or sloppy, or too wet, or anything else she could do wrong. She just wanted more of Adora. Judging by Adora’s soft moans and hands creeping along Catra’s sides, she was enjoying herself too. 

Adora shifted her thigh so it was parting Catra’s legs. Catra could feel her hard muscle pressing against her own core. The light contact against her jeans wasn’t nearly enough to be satisfying. She almost cried at the sensation, wanting to feel Adora’s skin against hers, slick and hot.

Adora pressed in harder, pushing more pressure against Catra. Her jeans rubbed against her clit, her underwear wet and sticky around her pussy. Adora’s thigh was strong and she stroked along Catra’s sides before lightly pushing her fingers under her shirt and into Catra’s bra. 

Catra was in heaven, she hadn’t been touched like this in so long. Adora’s fingers found her left nipple and began circling it gently. She could feel it stiffen and harden as her arousal increased. She didn’t realize she liked having her breasts touched so much. Catra guessed that it might just be because it was Adora. 

“Adora,” Catra moaned out. “Keep touching me like that.”

“What do you say?” Adora said, teasing her. It would have come out a lot smoother if her voice hadn’t cracked, indicating just how nervous she really was. 

“Please,” Catra responded, shutting her eyes. Adora’s hand moved to her other nipple in response, her tongue back kissing over Catra’s pulse points. 

Adora’s left hand slid lower and lower down Catra’s side, brushing against the sensitive spots of her skin and sending waves of pleasure down her body. Her fingers inched closer and closer to the waistband of Catra’s jeans. Catra didn’t know if she could keep being teased like this. 

“Catra,” Adora sighed. “You feel so good, I bet you’re so wet for me right now.” 

Catra’s eyes popped open, jolted out of her haze. 

She realized she was all but below Adora Greyskull, about to get finger fucked in her jeans without even having a proper conversation first. 

How fucking embarrassing for her. 

She pushed Adora’s shoulder, and the blonde moved her hand back, her breath hot on Catra’s neck. 

“Catra?” she asked questioningly, before moving to put her hand on her waist. 

“Are you serious? Come on Adora, let’s…” Catra trailed off. The breath on her neck was distracting and her core throbbed with want.

“Don’t you think this is a little unethical?” she said. It wasn’t usually something she would consider in the moment.

“I won’t tell if you don’t,” Adora smirked back. Catra wondered vaguely when she had gotten this type of confidence. Back when they were together Catra had been the one who initiated and led. 

Catra moved Adora’s hand back gently and pulled her hips away from the wall, coming to her feet and clearing her head. Catra didn’t know what compelled her to be so tender with Adora, given that she had wanted to be taken roughly and possessively not five minutes ago. 

“This was a mistake,” Catra said firmly. 

Adora looked down at her feet. Before she could respond, Catra had turned tail and rushed back out the door, closing it quietly before her. She didn’t want to make a scene. For all that she wanted to scream and fight with Adora, it sure was easier to just run away and pretend like nothing had happened.

Pretend nothing happened, she said to herself. Pretend that Adora’s hand wasn’t just down your pants. 

Catra leaned back against the wall outside her door. She knew Adora wouldn’t come out to chase her. The memory of her blue eyes as she looked down at her possessively sent a shiver down Catra’s back. The feeling she had been chasing for years…

She pushed off the wall and headed down the hallway back to her dressing room, one foot in front of the other. 

Her mind was spinning, tumbling through thoughts without landing on any of them. Did Adora miss her? Well the sexual tension was still clearly there. Did Adora want to work things out? Does she want to see me again? Did I like that? Did I want to go further?

Catra stumbled as she misjudged a step, lost in her thoughts. It wasn’t like she was ever going to get a straight answer from Adora to any of these questions. 

Scorpia was sitting back in her chair outside the Cadet’s dressing room door. 

“Hey Catra! You disappeared for a little bit there, I looked for you but wasn’t sure where ya went. You want to grab a snack with us? Entrapta was looking at some mini taco place across the street.”

Catra checked her watch. There was still a few hours before their performance, and it wasn’t like she was going to practice, and sitting still with her thoughts did not seem like a good idea right now.

“Sure,” Catra responded. Scorpia’s eyes lit up.

“Great! Grab your bag and let’s go,” Scorpia said, jumping up from her seat to open the door from Catra.

Catra spied her backpack sitting next to the couch and slung it over her shoulder, avoiding meeting the gaze of Lonnie and the others. She wasn’t sure what she looked like right now, but she felt the hot touch of Adora over her face and her body. 

She felt like if she made eye contact with anyone, they’d be able to see what she’d been up to only minutes before. 

Catra smoothed her hair subtly as she and Scorpia headed down the hall, Entrapta hot on their heels. She did her best to straighten her shirt. She hoped Adora hadn’t left any marks on her neck. 

Entrapta was pouring over her phone, reviewing sound logistics plans, or … inventing some new recording technique, more likely. The Cadets really were lucky to have her. Her tech skills had helped them produce and record music far more intricate than Catra and the others would have been able to do on their own. 

The taco restaurant was crowded. Catra assumed that it was a popular spot for people attending the Battle of the Bands to grab a bite to eat before the show started. She waded through the crowd, holding onto Scorpia, as they found a small table to sit at. 

The waitress walked up to the group. She looked down at her pad, barely paying attention to the trio. Chewing gum, she asked, “So, what’ll you have?”

Scorpia hemmed and hawed over the menu. “Ah! So there’s fish, and there’s also pork, and there’s also beef, and wow! I have so many options…”

“I’ll have fish tacos,” Catra responded. 

Scorpia smiled and ordered the same thing. Entrapta put in her order as well, and the waitress walked away, still not interested. 

Scorpia leaned forward into her hands, her elbows resting on the table. “So Catra! Where’d you get off too earlier? You know I thought I saw Adora earlier when we headed down the hall. Weren’t you two friends or something?” she asked innocently. 

Catra groaned. “Scorp, I don’t want to talk about Adora,” she muttered. “Food and that’s it.”

Entrapta interrupted, her eyes still on her phone, her fingers moving as she typed something. Probably sending a text to her lab partner, Catra figured. “Judging by the way your pupils dilated and your cheeks flushed slightly when Adora was mentioned, you and Adora were likely more than friends.”

“Ohh my god!” Catra said. “What part of no Adora talk wasn’t clear!” 

Scorpia sent her an apologetic look, sensing Catra’s hackles raising.

“Hey, ‘Trapta?” Scorpia said. “What sort of project are you working on?” As Entrapta began to discuss, in detail, the new sound theory she was working on with her lab partner, Scorpia studied Catra’s face. She seemed almost worried. 

It wasn’t like Catra had a clear picture about what had happened either. She still didn’t know her thoughts or feelings towards Adora. Mostly she just felt the pit in her stomach getting larger and larger. 

And now she had to actually perform in front of Adora. It wasn’t the first time Adora would hear her. It’s just that when they were kids growing up together, Adora was the star and Catra was the sidekick. Adora was the one with the talent, the who would go places. Catra was just her friend. 

Catra knew she had talent. She wouldn’t have been so successful with Bright Moon’s music major, having written and performed her songs for large audiences if she didn’t. It’s just that no matter how good Catra was, no matter how much she practiced, no matter how much she sucked up to professors or begged peers for feedback, she would never live up to the fame that Adora had.

She had been content with being successful in her own right, but that had all been turned on its head with a kiss. 

Catra wanted to prove Adora wrong. She wanted to prove Weaver wrong, and prove that she wasn’t going to be second best anymore. 

Catra was lost in her thoughts when the waitress arrived with her food. Grumpily, she stabbed her taco with her fork and shredded it. She wasn’t in the mood to eat. 

‘Hey guys?” Catra said. “I’m going to head back. I want to go over some stuff with Lonnie.” She dropped a twenty on the table to cover her food.

“Of course!” Scorpia said brightly. If she realized Catra just didn’t want to be in a public place while visibly rattled over Adora, her face didn’t indicate it. 

Catra pushed away from the table and headed out the door, her hands in her pockets. Why was it that Adora ruined everything, her appetite included? Damn, she just wanted to eat some tacos. She crossed the street and entered back into the Etheria Commons parking lot. Catra crouched down and sat on the curb next to an empty parking spot. She dug through her pockets, looking for her cigarettes and a lighter. 

Cigarettes after sex was a thing, right? Not like she and Adora had gone that far, but she needed one now, to steel her nerves. It could be worse, she could be reliant on alcohol or drugs to relax and get through her performance. 

She didn’t ever want to be in that state of mind again. 

She breathed in and felt the smoke fill her lungs. She heard footsteps and a presence come from behind her and settle down next to her. 

“Yikes,” Lonnie said. “So I was right earlier. Something’s up with you.”

Catra passed the cigarette to Lonnie and she took a puff. 

“Um I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Catra said cheekily. If she played it off like she didn’t care, she might not have to talk about it. 

“Um yeah you do,” Lonnie shot back. “You weren’t fooling anyone when you came back to grab your bag. I can see the hickey on your collarbone.”

When Catra didn’t respond, Lonnie sighed. 

“You know we don’t have to talk about it,” she said. “It’s just, I don’t want to see you hurt, okay?”

“I know,” Catra spoke sharply. “Don’t worry, this won’t affect my performance tonight.” She stamped out the cigarette beneath her foot. 

“Come on, let’s go get ready,” she said to Lonnie. 

Catra had spent years preparing for tonight. Some heavy petting with Adora was not going to rattle her from achieving her dreams. Not even when she thought about the noises Adora had made into her neck, and the phantom touch of her fingers down her hips. 

Nope, she was definitely, certainly, 100% not screwed.


End file.
